Chad Colton

Chambers USA describes Chad as a “go-to lawyer for bet-the-company commercial litigation.” Market sources reported to Chambers that Chad is a “skillful litigator who is not afraid to go in and try cases” and can “unpack the most complex cases and adapt his trial strategy to any jury.” In 2025, Forbes named Chad to its inaugural Best-in-State Top Lawyers list—one of only eight lawyers listed in his home state of Oregon. 

Chad serves as lead counsel in commercial litigation involving contracts, partnership disputes, trade secrets, licensing disputes, fiduciary duties, and intellectual property. His work covers a variety of industries, with particular experience representing and opposing athletes, celebrities, and sportswear companies—including securing a high-profile jury trial victory for NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. against Nike (see article here) and representing adidas in its major legal battles. 

Whether Chad handles a case from the beginning or steps in weeks before trial, clients trust him to deliver decisive results in the courtroom. In his parachute trial practice, clients and other lawyers often ask Chad to join cases shortly before trial. Chad and his team then step in to quickly assess the case and formulate a hard-hitting trial package that resonates with jurors. Chad also works seamlessly with other law firms, taking on the most difficult aspects of trial so that they can focus on settlement and other case tasks. 

After two decades of studying trial techniques and gaining hands-on courtroom experience, Chad shares tips on trial work, depositions, and oral argument with his peers through his “When You Need to Win” video series and seminars. 

Some of Chad’s representative cases include:

• Defeated Nike’s eight-figure claims at trial against NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. for alleged “glove violations” and disclosure of confidential information. (See OBJ’s post here and article here). Chad joined the case as lead trial counsel days before trial to architect the trial strategy, select the jury, and deliver opening statements and closing argument.
• Won a nearly $30 million jury verdict for Shark Tank celebrity James Martin against an international penny stock scammer known as the “Wolf of Montreal.” (See article here.) The verdict included $23.4 million in lost profits, RICO multipliers, and punitive damages, plus attorney fees and the return of a large vineyard property. Chad joined the case and worked with the existing litigation team at the mid-way point of the case.
• Served as lead trial counsel for the plaintiff in Opal Labs Inc. v. Sprinklr, Inc., one of the largest trade secret jury trials (if not the largest) in Oregon history. (See article here.) After a multi-week jury trial on claims for the theft of Opal’s software, the defendant paid what the Portland Business Journal called “a landmark settlement.”
• Parachuted in as lead counsel in a Seattle jury trial involving claims for willful patent infringement over a revolutionary fire safety invention.
• Served as lead defense counsel for the Boy Scouts of America in a set of more than 150 cases in Oregon and Guam, seeking collective damages of several billion dollars.
• Secured full dismissal of claims against Traeger Grills through a series of motions in a multimillion-dollar trade secret and contract case in Ohio involving electronic payment processing.
• Won a full defense verdict for Boyd Coffee Company in a federal jury trial in Los Angeles involving multimillion-dollar, bet-the-company claims for breach of a distribution agreement. Chad joined the case shortly before trial.
• Defended a medical management company at trial against multimillion-dollar claims for breach of contract and business torts, reducing damages to under $40,000.
• Secured full control of a large auto auction company through multiple trials of a family business dispute over control and theft of company assets.
• Represented clients at trial to reopen an estate for financial abuse by a personal representative, leading the court to hold that the conduct “shocked the conscience” and to local prosecutors securing a felony conviction against the personal representative.
• Won at trial on claims against a former company officer for embezzlement of company funds, resulting in a judgment of non-dischargeability in federal bankruptcy court.
• Represented Harry & David Corp. against IBM in fraud and business tort claims involving IBM’s website and e-commerce software. The case resolved shortly after convincing a federal judge that Harry & David had a viable claim for fraud against IBM.
• Obtained summary judgment dismissing all claims against Progressive Direct Insurance Co. in a Nevada class action case involving medical payment coverage.
• Defended a global Am Law firm in a federal class action and related mass actions arising out of the failure of the Aequitas investment funds.
• Secured permanent injunctions on behalf of Propel Insurance Company barring former employees from soliciting clients and using confidential and trade secret information at a competing insurance brokerage.
• Successfully pursued claims for fraud and negligence on behalf of global project management company HanmiGlobal Co. Ltd. in international and domestic arbitrations regarding the acquisition of a U.S. architecture and engineering firm.
• Defended shareholders and officers from claims following the hostile takeover of Christensen Shipyards, one of the world’s premier luxury shipbuilders.
• Secured a $50 million buyout for the partial owners of one of the Pacific Northwest’s largest industrial manufacturers following disputes over control of the company.
• Obtained a multimillion-dollar judgment in a family business dispute over the breakup of a large, 150-year-old Oregon farm, embezzlement of farm income, and the theft of farm property.
• Defended C&K Market against Unified Grocers in a bet-the-company case involving breach of a distribution agreement, successfully defeating the plaintiff’s preliminary injunction motion.